𝗧𝗘𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗢 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗝𝗢𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥 $𝟭,𝟬𝟬𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗡'𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗

     

Joe D. Hernandez of Little Joe y La Familia

On September 18, 2025, Grammy-winning Tejano artist Little Joe, sued his publisher for a million bucks, basically claiming he'd signed a contract he didn't understand.  The artist, whose legal name is Joe D. Hernandez, filed a lawsuit against Emma Gonzalez and her company, County Rd.34 Publishings, LLC, alleging fraud and breach of contract related to his autobiography. 

The complaint, filed in civil court, claims that Gonzalez and her company wrongfully assumed full ownership of the artist's biography, Little Joe No Llore, Chingon! An American Story – The Life of Little Joe, and have profited from its publication without compensating him.

According to the lawsuit, Hernandez and his company, La Familia Enterprises, Inc., entered into a written agreement with Gonzalez and County Rd.34 Publishings, LLC to co-author and publish the book. The initial agreement reportedly stated that Hernandez would retain control over the work and receive royalties from its sales. However, Hernandez claims that Gonzalez later persuaded him to sign a second agreement, formally titled Unanimous Written Consent in Lieu of Organizational Meeting of Managers of Two Cotton Pickers, LLC, which he says he did not fully understand. That agreement, he alleges, transferred 100% of his rights in the book to County Rd.34 Publishings, effectively giving Gonzalez complete control over the work.

Hernandez contends that he was unaware of the full implications of the second agreement and that he never intended to relinquish ownership or forfeit royalties. The book has since garnered significant recognition, winning five times at the International Latino Book Awards. 

Despite its success, Hernandez claims he has received no royalties, profits, or other forms of compensation from the publication. He also accuses Gonzalez and her company of continuing to market and sell the biography for profit while excluding him entirely from the proceeds.

The lawsuit further alleges that Gonzalez made knowingly false and misleading statements about the terms of their agreement and that her actions constitute a material breach of their original contract. Hernandez is seeking damages exceeding one million dollars and is asking the court to recognize his ownership rights in the book and award him the compensation he believes he is owed.